


don't hide away, come out and play

by whatlighttasteslike (waitingforeleven)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, FitzSimmons Secret Santa, Future Fic, Gift Giving, Happy Ending, Holidays, Kid Fic, Light Angst, Mother-Son Relationship, Parenthood, Scotland, Snowball Fight, fitzsimmons family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 15:56:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17226977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waitingforeleven/pseuds/whatlighttasteslike
Summary: Years after rescuing Fitz from space, FitzSimmons travel to Fitz's childhood home in Scotland with their two young daughters to celebrate Christmas, where a few surprises await. As Fitz continues to come to terms with his new life during their holiday filled with snow and wonder, he'll learn he can never truly hide his feelings away, especially from the people he cares about most.a fitzsimmons secret santa fic





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [accio-the-force (XOLove47)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/XOLove47/gifts).



> Merry Christmas, accio-the-force! I loved being your Secret Santa this year, and I hope you love your gift! I would tell you which of your three prompts I chose, but that would spoil the end of the story :) Enjoy!
> 
> The title comes from the song 'come out and play' by Billie Eilish, the lyrics of which also happen to perfectly capture the spirit of the story. [Listen here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXFdnHiGwos&frags=pl%2Cwn)
> 
> And finally, many thanks to eclecticmuses for being such a generous beta reader! You’re the best.

A last-minute check for mittens and scarves was the only thing keeping the family of four from heading out the door into the brisk early winter morning—that was, until the doting parents’ youngest child chose that precise moment to decide she wanted to wear her snowflake jumper instead of her reindeer one.

“It’s snowing,” Molly explained to her mother, who began quickly unbuttoning her daughter’s snugly fit coat. “I want the snowflake one.”

“Yes, yes, alright,” Jemma told her daughter through a quick smile, reaching her hand behind her. “Fitz, would you…?”

“Right, on it,” he said, nodding, already laying the animal print suitcase he’d been carrying down by the front door of their apartment in search of the jumper. He’d packed the suitcase himself and was rather proud he’d managed to limit his daughter’s luggage to a single case. He liked to think Molly was already growing into a miniature Jemma, with her assertive nature and above average fashion sense at the ripe age of two and three quarters. Her older sister Charlotte, on the other hand, did not care one bit about what she was wearing beyond wanting to stay warm, so Fitz wasn’t the least bit surprised to find her rolling her eyes as she leaned against their apartment door clutching her own rolling suitcase.

“You said we were going,” the four-year-old said softly.

“And that, we are,” Fitz replied, retrieving the soft blue jumper from Molly’s suitcase a second and a half later. “Here we are,” he said through a sigh of relief as he handed it to Jemma.

“Alright, Molly, let’s get you changed really quick. Fitz, take Charlotte, would you?”

“Yep, okay, we’re going, see?” he said, his voice rising in hopes of cheering his eldest daughter up. He knew she wasn’t a fan of flying on airplanes and hoped she would fall asleep once they reached their highest altitude on their way to England. But just in case, he’d packed a small collection of puzzles and coloring books to keep her occupied. Molly, on the other hand, had only flown once before on an airplane and absolutely adored it.

Once the two of them made it out to the taxi and Charlotte was secured in her car seat, Fitz placed her small suitcase underneath her feet just in case she needed a tissue or one of the three stuffed animals she’d managed to wedge into the front pocket. A moment later, Jemma came flying out of their apartment door carrying Molly on her hip, the trim of her new jumper peeking out underneath her coat.

“All ready?” Jemma asked after their youngest child was secure as well.

“I think we are,” Fitz said through a sigh, clicking his own seat belt in place from the passenger seat as the driver pulled out onto the road.

“Bye, house,” Molly murmured as she waved her tiny hand against the window.

“Are we good on time?” Jemma asked, checking her watch. She was crammed into the middle in between the two car seats but didn’t seem bothered by the predicament. She was, however, looking concerned by the traffic and their fast approaching departure time.

Looking at his own watch, Fitz turned his head to meet her eyes. “Plenty,” he assured her, giving her a small smile. He wanted her to relax, knowing they were fulfilling her biggest wish for the holiday season. Taking on all the planning for the trip by himself, he hoped she would finally get to experience a Christmas free of stress and filled with bliss.

She matched his smile as she sighed. “Good,” she said, leaning back against her seat. “Everything’s working out this time. It’ll be a good holiday.”

“What about Father Christmas?” Charlotte asked suddenly. “What if he gets confused that we’re gone?”

Fitz chuckled as he glanced back towards his daughter, finding her expression full of worry. “I’m sure he’ll find his way just fine.”

“Father Christmas always has a way with surprises,” Jemma told her, brushing a finger against her eldest daughter’s cheek. “You’ll just have to wait and see.” With a quick look at Fitz, she gave him a subtle wink. “And he’s not the only one with surprises up their sleeve.”

“Oh, really?” Fitz replied, eyeing her curiously.

“Mm-hmm.” Her smile brightened as she gave him a teasing expression.

Fitz huffed lightly. “It’ll definitely be a good holiday, then.”

Smiling fondly as he thought about what he hoped would be a memorable holiday, Fitz closed his eyes and leaned back against his headrest, savoring the last few minutes of quiet before they were whisked into the chaos of the airport. Their bags were packed, every item was checked off their list, and if all went well, they would be on their way across the pond to spend Christmas with his mum.

A moment later, he felt Jemma’s hand resting on his shoulder and sensed her leaning in close to his ear.

“You okay?” she murmured, her voice a calming presence as he went over the final details of their travel agenda in his head.

Pulling in his lips, he nodded.

Sure, he was technically okay. They had plenty of time to arrive at the airport, the girls were dressed in their winter attire and full of excitement in the back seat, and in no time, they would safely land in Scotland for what he hoped would be a perfect family holiday.

But beyond that, he was more or less a nervous wreck.

 

 

\---

 

 

They arrived at the airport two hours early on the dot for their flight, the terminals overly crowded and bustling with holiday cheer as hordes of families made their way to the ticket counters, squinted up at the arrival and departure schedules, and groaned at the dreadfully long wait through security. Fitz was pleased that their daughters were staying well-behaved as they checked their bags and car seats, printed their boarding passes, and finally made it to their assigned gate. With so much to look at, he couldn’t keep from smiling as the girls gazed out the windows and marveled over the airplanes landing and taking off. It was their first big adventure together as a family, and while he felt calm as he settled into his chair as they waited to board the plane, he knew the nerves he’d been trying to bury would set in once they finally landed in his home country.

It was a silly thing to be nervous about, he thought for the thousandth time. It wasn’t just their first adventure as a family – it also happened to be their first Christmas with his mum at his childhood home since they’d had the girls. While everyone was thrilled to finally get to experience their first Christmas in Scotland as a family, Fitz was more anxious than he cared to admit.

They’d been meaning to spend the holiday with his mum for years, but there always seemed to be some sort of obstacle in the way. Their first Christmas after their wedding (first for Fitz, technically second for Jemma), the team was still trying to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D. as a public organization, so they were needed on the base to finalize remodels for the labs, amongst other projects. They had to settle for a video chat with his mother and nothing more than a few well wishes before they were swept back into their lives at the Lighthouse. A few short months later, they realized Jemma was carrying their first child, and suddenly their lives seemed much more normal than ever before. They had steady careers again, spending more time in the lab rather than in the field due to Jemma’s pregnancy, and above all, they had plans. The apartment they secured a few miles from the base was modest, but it was their first real home just for their family. And when Charlotte arrived at 3:42 am on a chilly December morning surrounded by her loved ones, they knew their little world was about to get a whole lot sweeter.

But every sweet thing they were gifted with also brought circumstances that always made their lives less than easy. With Jemma giving birth right before Christmas, they couldn’t make it to Fitz’s mum’s for the holidays like they’d planned. The year after that, they spent the holiday at Jemma’s family home, her parents and large extended family gushing over their bright and growing baby. And then Charlotte grew ill a few days after her second birthday, so traveling for that year’s holiday was out of the question. At that point, they were juggling a toddler and a newborn, the lively and glowing Molly who had been born a few months prior. They had a quiet Christmas that year, and even if Jemma was slightly relieved to not have to experience the struggle of holiday travel with such young children, Fitz knew deep down she desperately wanted to celebrate Christmas in Scotland.

And then, by some sort of miracle, their plans finally fell into place. Fitz had worked tirelessly to ensure their trip would work out this time around, booking the tickets months in advance and promising his mum that they were determined to see their plans through. They still expected it to be a challenge since traveling with small children was never an easy task, but with their children now walking and talking, a few weeks at his mum’s cottage while having an extra set of loving hands to cook, clean, and play seemed to be exactly what they needed for a Christmas filled with love and a bit of magic.

Still, as much as Fitz was looking forward to his family finally celebrating Christmas with his mother, who absolutely gushed with joy on the other end of the line when he shared their plans with her, he was filled with a slight sense of dread at the idea of spending such a long time in his mother’s presence.

Because once she’d spent enough uninterrupted time with him, she began to read his mind.

Whether it was problems at school or his suppressed feelings for Jemma, she was always able to sense when something was troubling him. Now that he was raising two daughters, his life was filled with more worries than he could count. Yet nothing seemed to match his anxiety as much as that surrounding his relationship with his mother. There had been a shift – he didn’t know when it had occurred, but simply that it had happened at some point since the series of terrible things had preyed upon his life – when he felt things had changed between them. As much as he used to adore speaking with her and sharing as many details about his adventures as he could, he found himself hiding things from her much more than sharing, believing it was for her own good. Whether his mother would ever admit it or not, he was not the same boy she sent off to the Academy what felt like a lifetime ago. And if she knew about the things that had happened to him – and more significantly, the things he’d done – she may not recognize him anymore.

Since they were so busy with their schedules as agents and parents, Fitz didn’t really have time to let these worries over his mother get the best of him. He also never spoke of them with Jemma, even though he knew it was never smart for him to hide anything from her. She had enough to worry about – making sure the girls always ate healthy meals, planning playdates, balancing her roles as a dedicated mother and the head of recruitment for the science division at the newly established S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy – tasks she managed to accomplish with grace.

He didn’t exactly have a plan for how he would handle his feelings in his mother’s presence, especially since he often didn’t know how to make sense of these feelings himself. Things were different now. Their little family wasn’t in danger like they used to be when it was just him and Jemma, he was feeling stronger mentally than he had in a long time, and at this point in his life, he’d finally forgiven himself for most of his past actions. Yet as much as the team and especially Jemma had also forgiven him and moved on as best they could, this was his _mum_. The fear was there, an ever-present reminder that things were not the same between them, and the only true time to confront those feelings head-on would be during their holiday.

Luckily, he was able to focus on other things instead of cowering in fear about it inside his head, like the gifts for the girls they’d sent early in the post to arrive at his mother’s house in time for Christmas and how he hoped, if the weather permitted, to teach his daughters how to build a snowman. He was truly excited for them to see another part of the world, to hear other people speak like their mum and dad, and to know their family extended beyond the Lighthouse.

They still had a few minutes before they were to board their first flight, and as Molly busied herself telling Jemma all of the things she hoped to do at Nana’s house, Charlotte looked intently out the window at their airplane they were about to board. She was always quiet, often reminding Fitz of himself as a young child. In raising her over the last few years, he always assured her that she never had to be like other people or speak when she didn’t want to. But Fitz knew this was a different sort of quiet. She almost had a determined look on her face, as if she knew what was coming with no way out and the only way forward was to face her fear head-on. With a bit of pride, Fitz wrapped his arm around her, giving her a firm squeeze.

For a four-year-old, she was quite the strong-minded one. And maybe if Charlotte could face her fear on this holiday, he could do the same.

 

 

\---

 

 

Thankfully, the first flight was expectedly long but smooth. With Charlotte sitting next to him in the window seat, Fitz had held her hand through the scariest bit of taking off, and then it only took about half an hour for her to grow tired and fall asleep against his shoulder, his use of coloring books and puzzles as distractions working like a charm. In that moment, he’d turned his head and poked Jemma’s arm across the aisle, wanting her to witness their little victory.

After the flight into Heathrow came their connection to Glasgow, the second flight much more exciting for the girls than the first with the growing anticipation of finally arriving in the city where their father grew up. Jemma was beaming when they finally landed, the reality setting in that they had finally made it after so many years of trying.

Once they retrieved their luggage and secured their rental car, it was almost too much for Fitz’s heart to handle as his daughters feasted their eyes upon the city as they witnessed a Scottish Christmas for the first time in their lives. Jemma placed her hand on the collar of his coat as he drove, her eyes glistening as they both listened happily to the girls oo-ing and ah-ing in the backseat. Glasgow lit up with lights for the holidays was a splendid sight, flooding Fitz’s mind with memories of Christmases long ago spent with just him and his mum. Those were simpler times, and now he hoped his daughters would get to experience even just an ounce of that same wonder as they traveled to his home.

Driving out of the city, they traveled a bit longer before they arrived at Fitz’s familiar neighborhood. Slowing the car, they took in the beautiful sight of the holiday decorations lighting up the street, a gorgeous blend of red, green, and white twinkling in the darkness of the night. The snow covering the gardens added to the magical oasis that was the winter holiday, and with their everyday lives mostly consumed by the Lighthouse and their nearby apartment, the sight of snow was a thrilling reminder of what the world was like outside those dark hallways.

By this time, Fitz’s nerves had transformed into a more nervous-excited energy as the family of four got closer and closer to his childhood home. As much as they had enjoyed themselves at the Simmons’ home the last time they’d traveled for the holidays, Charlotte was too young to even remember the occasion and Molly had been a mere flutter against their fingertips as they’d rested their hands against Jemma’s stomach. This Christmas, Fitz desperately wanted everything to work out for his daughters’ and Jemma’s sake – a holiday filled with snow, a real Christmas dinner, and hopefully plenty of fond memories to take with them when they finally traveled back home.

As the car rounded the last corner, Fitz could feel his heart racing in his chest, his mother’s house now in clear view.  

“It’s been too long,” Jemma said, squeezing his shoulder.

“Yeah, it has,” he agreed.

“I love it here. You always seemed so comfortable at home.”

Fitz hummed in response, and when the car finally came to a stop in front of his childhood home, he exhaled slowly, taking it all in. Nothing much had changed about the house – the door looked to have a fresh coat of paint, and the garden was a bit tidier than usual. The biggest change, however, that caught Fitz’s eye immediately was the thrilling view from the front of the house. Through the front window, they could see an extravagant Christmas tree lit up with colorful lights, bows, and tinsel, a welcoming sight to start off their relaxing holiday.

“The tree!” Molly exclaimed from the back seat.

Fitz was astonished to see such a sight. “Wow, I wasn’t sure if she’d manage to put one up this year. It’s quite the task all by herself.”

“Maybe she had some help,” Jemma offered, looking down as she appeared to hide a small smile.  

It was dreadfully late, but their two daughters were nearly bursting with excitement as they tugged at their seatbelts in the back seat. Once they were unfastened, Fitz and Jemma each carried one of them up the walkway from the car, not wanting them to slip on the snow. The anticipation of seeing his mum and walking inside the house was building, and before Fitz knew it, she was already standing in the doorway.

The last time he’d seen her in person was a few weeks after Molly’s birth, and while not much time had truly passed since then, she still somehow looked brand new. Her hair was a bit shorter, the chill giving her cheeks more color, and the smile that spread across her face was an even warmer sight than he remembered. Meeting her new granddaughters in the darkness of the Lighthouse was one thing, but finally having her son and his family home for the holiday was likely a thousand times grander.

“Nana!” Molly called out when she caught sight of her.

She was trying desperately to wiggle her way out of Fitz’s hold, so he placed her down carefully a few steps away from the door. He held her hand until she was close enough to wrap her little arms around her grandmother’s legs, squeezing with all her might.

“Hello, dear,” his mum Ellie answered, bending down to properly hug her youngest granddaughter. “You’ve grown so much taller since the last time I saw you. Remind me, how old are you now?”

“Three!”

“Molly, you’re still two,” Fitz corrected her, amused. “But almost three,” he said, stroking the back of his daughter’s hair. “Just a few more months.”

“Well, I don’t mind rounding up,” said Ellie. “And here comes everyone else.”

“Hi Nana,” Charlotte said quietly, Jemma guiding her along so she could embrace her grandmother as well.

“So good to see you,” Ellie replied. After embracing her eldest granddaughter and kissing Jemma on the cheek, she waved the family towards the door. “Come on, let’s get inside. It’s freezing out here.”

Once they were all shuffled inside, they went about removing their winter gear, which was quite the task for the four of them in the small entryway of the home. In the chaos of trying to unbutton coats, unwind the many scarfs, and making sure no one tracked any snow into the house, Fitz found himself next to his mother at last, her eyes shining as she placed a hand to his cheek.

“Hi Mum.”

“I’ve missed you so much,” she said lovingly, pulling him in for a hug that seemed to last for eternity.  

“Me, too,” he said, his voice muffled against her jumper.

When she finally pulled back, she tugged on both his hand and Jemma’s. “Come on, I’ve got some things to show you.”

“We could see the tree from the car. It’s gorgeous,” Jemma told her.  

“You didn’t put it up by yourself, did you?” Fitz inquired.

His mother shook her head. “Oh, of course not.”  

“Then who helped?”

But he truly didn’t need to ask such a question when the answer came barreling around the corner from the living room.

“Merry Christmas!”

At the sight of his grandson, Fitz froze, the sight of Deke a shock on its own, but the sight of him comfortably inside Fitz’s childhood home wearing a blaringly obnoxious Christmas jumper brought it to a whole other level. “Deke, what – what are you doing here?!”

Deke rolled his eyes. “Good to see you, too, man.”

Fitz shook his head, waving him over. “Sorry, I was just… surprised.” When Deke reached him, the two embraced, Fitz still a bit stunned by his presence but pleased nonetheless. Ever since he’d introduced his mother to his new friend Deke back at the Lighthouse, Fitz figured she would want Deke to visit her in Scotland, especially since she found him and his travels so fascinating. For Fitz, it had been a few months since the last time he’d seen Deke in person, their frequent video chats and texts actually a welcome part of Fitz’s routine as he settled into his new life as a husband and father. Once he got over the initial shock of meeting his own grandson after returning from space, there was something strangely comforting about having a new friend who treated him as simply that – someone to talk to and share ideas with, even if he was sometimes a tad annoying with his constant questions about life on Earth. And the girls adored Deke, having spent many days during the summer together, so Fitz knew his company would add to their joy.

Jemma, smiling widely, eventually joined and wrapped her arms around both of them. “There’s surprise number one for you,” she told Fitz. “Figured he was in need of a quiet Christmas for once.”

“Right, yeah,” Fitz agreed, turning to Deke. “How have you been?”

Before he could answer, a high-pitched squeal came from behind them, followed by the sound of little feet racing across the hardwood.

“Uncle Deke!” Molly exclaimed as she ran over to him, Charlotte following behind.

“Well, quiet…ish,” Jemma amended.  

“My favorite nieces!” Bending down, Deke pulled the two girls into a hug before lifting them off the ground.

“We’re your only nieces,” Charlotte corrected him.

“Well, technically, you aren’t even my nieces, but—”

“ _Ah_ —it doesn’t matter,” Fitz cut him off quickly, his eyes wide, praying his mother didn’t notice his slight panic.  

“Right. Anyway, what did you ask for Christmas?” Deke asked the girls, carrying them down the hall into the living room.

“A fairy unicorn polar bear,” Molly answered.

“I… hmm… was not aware that that was a thing, but I’m sure he can make it happen.”

Fitz’s mum appeared then, placing a hand on Fitz’s shoulder. “Did you have a safe trip here? How were the flights?”

“Uneventful, surprisingly. They slept most of the way,” he explained, gesturing towards the living room where his daughters were chatting away with Deke, “which was nice. Which means they’re in no mood to go to bed now.”

She chuckled. “They’ll tire out soon enough. They’ll need rest for everything Deke has planned for the two of them. Made sure the house was cheerful enough for all the festivities, that’s for sure.”

Fitz didn’t process her meaning until they rounded the corner into the living room so Fitz could finally take in what could only be described as an explosion of Christmas decorations. The house was completely covered from head to toe in holiday cheer, more so than Fitz had ever remembered from his entire childhood. The collection of stockings – six now in total – hung on the mantle of the fireplace, which was lit and bringing some much-needed warmth into the house. Countless holiday knick-knacks filled every available surface on bookcases and end tables, many of which were lit up with twinkling lights in every color of the rainbow. And then there was the tree, a magnificent thing by the front window that looked even more impressive in person. From across the room, Fitz could already spot some of his favorite Christmas baubles they’d had since his childhood, along with plenty more his mum had collected over the years. She had always gone out of her way to make the holiday season feel special, especially when it was just the two of them. Now, as Fitz stood in shock as he took in the display, he felt a wave of gratitude pass through him knowing that his daughters and Jemma would get to experience such a festive sight alongside him.

“Wow,” he said softly, completely in awe.

“It looks beautiful,” Jemma gushed, linking her arm through his as they took in every inch of the room.

“You really went all out this year, huh?” Fitz said to his mother.

“Oh, nonsense,” Ellie replied, waving him off. “Deke put up everything. I didn’t have to lift a finger, bless him. Took him only a few days to finish.”

“A few _days_?” Fitz asked in slight horror.  

“Right, he got here on Thursday. It’s not his first visit, after all.”

Fitz turned to Deke where he sat on the sofa with the girls, who were pointing out all the holiday decorations that sparkled and brightened up the room, Charlotte seeming particularly fascinated by the snow globe featuring a beautiful winter scene sitting on the coffee table. “How many times have you been here?” Fitz asked.

Deke gave him half a shrug. “Not that many, just a couple times when I’m passing through. Ellie is the best cook, by the way, but I probably don’t have to tell you that.”

Fitz pressed his lips together in a firm line and turned to his mother. “Did he just call you Ellie?” he whispered.   

She smiled warmly. “Don’t mind him. I love the company, actually. He’s always telling stories about his adventures. Reminds me a bit of you when you were first starting out at the Academy.”

“That’s probably the only thing we have in common.”

Laughing lightly, she squeezed his hand. “You look well,” she said softly so only he could hear.

Smiling sheepishly, he tilted his head. “Thanks, Mum.”

“And you look as beautiful as ever,” she added, turning to Jemma.

“Aw, thank you,” Jemma replied. “Still trying to grow out the fringe, unfortunately.”

“Oh, I thought you looked sharp.”

“Bit of an impulsive decision, really,” Jemma explained. “Of course, now all Molly wants is her own fringe.”

“We’ll have to keep a close eye on the safety scissors in our house,” Fitz added through a chuckle that morphed into a yawn.  

“Well,” Ellie said, clasping her hands in front of her, “I’ll let you two get settled in, then. We’ve got loads to do tomorrow. Hopefully you’ll find everything you need in the bedrooms.”

“Thank you,” said Fitz before turning to the sofa, where his daughters appeared to be in no mood to call it a night. “Alright, everyone up, it’s time for bed.”

Instantly, they both whined in protest, leaning against Deke’s shoulders on either side of him.

“Five more minutes,” Charlotte pleaded.

“I can put them to bed,” Deke offered.

After a quick glance at Jemma, who seemed to have already made up her mind with a smile, Fitz replied with a small sigh. “Okay, fine. But I’ll be checking in to make sure you’re actually asleep.”

“Okay, Daddy,” the girls said in unison.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of them,” said Deke through a wide smile.

“Why am I not the least bit assured by that?” Fitz whispered to Jemma as she took him by the arm.  

“Because it’s Deke and he loves to spoil them,” she told him, pulling him down the hall. “Come on, let them live a little.”

 

 

\---

 

 

With the lights around the house dimmed and the girls finally in bed thanks to Deke—the exhaustion of traveling and the whirlwind of Jemma’s first surprise of their uncle sending them to sleep the instant their heads hit their pillows—Fitz collapsed heavily onto the guest room mattress, curling on his side to take Jemma’s hand. She laid flat on her back, her other hand not holding his resting over her stomach with her eyes closed, cozy and warm in her winter pajamas. His mum had gone out of her way to make the room feel comfortable, with the additional spice-scented candles, warm winter throws, and a handful of twinkling Christmas decorations transforming the once-bare room into a warm sanctuary for him and Jemma to escape to when their long days of entertaining their children finally came to an end.

“Ugh, I could sleep for days,” Jemma murmured next to him, squeezing his hand.

“Me too.” Reaching across her, he urged her onto her side so she could curl up next to him, clutching their hands between them as he warmed them with his breath. “Why don’t we? Deke can clearly handle Christmas on his own, the girls will be entertained, everything will be fine.”

“ _Fitz,”_ she said through a laugh, her eyes still sparkling even in the dim light of the room. “I can’t wait for tomorrow,” she whispered. “And the next day, and every day we spend here.”

He hummed in response, resting his forehead against hers as he closed his eyes.  

“You don’t mind that I invited him, do you?” Jemma asked.

He shook his head slightly. “Deke? No, yeah, I’m glad he’s here. Mum seems to love him.” Earning another chuckle from Jemma, he rolled his eyes. “’Cause of _course_ , she does.”

“Naturally. And I don’t know, I just thought he’s had a strange last few years,” she said, shrugging. “He deserves a semi-normal holiday with his family for once. Even if he’s spending it with his _great_ -grandmother. Who is sixty-eight years old.”

Fitz let the fact sink in for a moment in silence. “Yeah, I’m never gonna get used to that.”

“Speaking of strange things,” she said, trailing her fingers down the side of his face, “does it feel strange being home? I’d imagine it’s sort of… bittersweet, I guess.”

He nodded. “A bit, yeah. Last time I was here for this long of a stay, it was right before we got recruited for Coulson’s team.”

“Feel good to see your mum?”

“Yeah,” he said straightaway. His nerves about being with his mother weren’t bothering him nearly as much after her warm welcome when they arrived, and he hoped to keep it that way. “It’s nice. I’m glad we’re all here together for once.”

“She missed you,” Jemma told him. “Obviously. And our girls.”

“And you,” Fitz added, moving his hand to stroke his thumb back and forth on her shoulder. “Is it everything you wanted?” She wasn’t hard to please these days, and he could already tell she was enjoying herself immensely. But he still wanted to be sure, knowing they’d waited a long time for these plans to fall into place.

Smiling warmly, she sighed. “Absolutely. It’s supposed to snow even more tomorrow, and I know you’re already dreaming about your mum’s extravagant Christmas feast.”

“Mmm. Yes.”

“I wonder what Deke will think of mince pies and Christmas cake.”

“He has an unpredictable appetite, so honestly, who knows.”

Through a yawn, Jemma rolled over until she was laying on top of him, her hand coming up to move her fingers through his curls. “What a difference it is between the last Christmas we spent here. Middle of Sci-Ops, you pretending like it wasn’t a big deal to bring a girl home with you.”

Fitz made a face. “It wasn’t a big deal, though.”

At his response, Jemma tilted her head, giving him a look he knew all too well.

“Okay, you’re right,” he admitted. “It was a big deal. Just didn’t realize it at the time. My mum probably knew how I felt about you better than I did.”

“She always does, doesn’t she? And now, things are a bit different, wouldn’t you say?” She made a point of waving her left hand around, her wedding ring twinkling in the light from the lamp beside them.

Fitz took hold of her hand, inspecting her ring with a soft smile. “Yeah. Loads.” And with a glance at the clock on their bedside table, noting it was past midnight, he pulled her in close to whisper in her ear. “Merry Christmas Eve, wife.”

“Merry Christmas Eve, husband.”


	2. Chapter 2

The light streaming in from the window as Fitz woke up late the next morning was a luxury he had long forgotten about ever since they’d grown as a family. He’d also forgotten what it was like to wake up to an empty bed and no sign of Jemma, his brow creasing as he felt the cold sheets on his wife’s side of the mattress. Although she was an early riser on most occasions, he assumed she would at least sleep in with him a little bit later than usual after all of their traveling. Plus, it was the holidays and his mum and Deke were there, so she plenty deserved the time to sleep in without her mind instantly wandering to their little ones.

As he pondered where she was, he vaguely remembered her getting up in the middle of the night, but he was in such a deep sleep that he couldn’t place why. After quickly getting dressed for the day, a wave of worry passed through his stomach when he found her in the kitchen a moment later looking more pale than usual, if that were at all possible.

“You okay?” he asked, instantly concerned as he strode forward to place his hand gingerly on her shoulder. She was still in her sleepwear from the night before and clutching a robe around herself as she sat at the breakfast table.

Nodding, she leaned into him, pulling on his hand to hold in her lap. “Minor stomach bug, but I’m feeling better already. Might be from all the traveling. Ellie’s taking good care of me.”

Fitz glanced over to see his mum preparing a light breakfast of plain toast. “Morning, Mum.”

“Good morning, dear. Kids are about to go outside with Deke.”

“Right, okay.” He kneeled down, meeting Jemma’s eyes again. “Is there anything else that I can get for you? There should be some shops still open today.”

She shook her head, smiling faintly. “No, thank you. I’m fine. I promise.”

“You sure?” When she nodded, he exhaled deeply. “It’s always something, isn’t it?”

“Believe me, I’ve handled worse.”

Before Fitz could press her for more, Charlotte appeared at the table already bundled up in her coat, earmuffs, and mittens, her hands clutching a small handful of carrots and small bits of coal that she held up towards her mother.

“Mummy, look. Deke has noses and eyes for our snowman.”

“That’s wonderful,” Jemma replied, her face already brightening up at the sight of her eldest daughter. “Are you warm enough in your coat?” When Charlotte nodded, Jemma ruffled her hair lightly. “Good.”

“Daddy,” she said, turning to Fitz. “We’re waiting on you.”

“Waiting on me?”

“Deke said we’re gonna make a snowman taller than me, so we’ll need your help too.”

Fitz tilted his head, looking at her with absolute adoration. “Come here,” he whispered, urging her closer as he met her eyes. “I’m gonna stay inside for a little bit and make sure your mum is okay,” he said, taking her little hand and swinging it back and forth. “Deke seems ready to help you get started, but I’ll be out in a short while. Just ten minutes, okay? And then I’ll be right out.”

“You promise?” she asked, her eyes wide.

“Yeah, I promise.”

Before she turned to leave, an idea seemed to appear inside her head. “Wait,” she told Fitz before rushing off to the living room. With a tilt of his head, he did as she instructed until she finally came scurrying back clutching her stuffed rabbit, her favorite of her little collection of animals, and held it up to him. “Mummy can hold him to feel better.”

“Aww, that’s very kind of you,” Fitz told her as he took the animal and placed it in Jemma’s lap.  “Now, go on, I’ll be out before you know it.”

With a nod, she turned and nearly skipped towards the door to head back out into the snow.

Fitz followed and watched her for a few moments through the door, his heart warming at the sight of her and Molly laughing and playing with Deke as if no time had passed since they’d last seen him. Once he was content that they were enjoying themselves, he returned to Jemma’s side. “Let me make you tea, at least,” he said, brushing a soft kiss against her forehead before joining his mother in the kitchen. When he reached up to pull a mug down from the cupboard, he noticed a few cardboard boxes sitting on the counter where his mother stood. “What’s all that?” he asked.

“I was just showing Jemma some of our old photo albums,” she explained. “Thought the girls might want to have a look as well.”

At the thought of seeing old photos of himself, Fitz grimaced. “Ah, no, Mum. Let’s not,” he pleaded, reaching for the nearest box.  

“Oh, stop that,” she said, pulling the box out of his reach. “Let your wife enjoy herself.”

“You were so _cute_ ,” Jemma called out over her shoulder, already clutching one of the albums. “Look, Fitz. Why don’t you wear your curls like this anymore?”

When he returned to her side and saw the photo, he screwed up his face in horror. “It’s too much work. I’d have to get up a half hour earlier than usual just to make them sit right.”

“Aw, poor thing. That would be so difficult,” Jemma teased.

“Hey, I’m still growing them out for you, see?” he said, pointing to where his curls were a bit longer in the front than he usually preferred.

“Yes, thank you for that.”

His mother appeared at their side, looking over his shoulder to see the photos they were looking through. “That was a good Christmas,” she said, pointing to the photo in the top corner of the page. “Your first chemistry set, if I remember correctly.”

Looking closer at the photograph, he nodded, remembering that Christmas and that gift clear as day. “Yeah, it was.”

“And I think I’ve got some more over here, let’s see now…”

When Fitz let out an exhausted sigh, Jemma poked him in his arm, giving him one of her signature _be nice_ looks.

“Ah, here we are,” his mother said a moment later, pulling another album out from the bottom of the box and bringing it over to them. “This one’s missing some, unfortunately. No idea where they got off too. I think you took a few with you to the Academy, but there was one that’s been missing a long time. We were sitting in that very chair.”

She pointed to the rocking chair at the corner of the living room, the piece of furniture looking much more worn now that so much time had passed since they’d first brought it into the home. Fitz knew of the photo she was referring to, distinctly remembering how he learned to read his first books in that chair, along with countless other memories associated with it. The sight of the chair still in the house now brought a small smile to his face.

“Yeah, I took some with me,” he said. “Not sure about where that one picture got off to, though.”

Ellie sighed. “It’s a shame. Have you got some pictures of your girls for me? I’ve got some new frames I need to fill.”

“Mm-hmm. Jemma’s got loads.”

“We’ll get them printed for you,” Jemma said sweetly.  

“That would be lovely, thank you.” Ellie moved to look out the window then, standing on her tiptoes to see out into the garden. “They’re absolutely beautiful, dear.”

Fitz followed her to see the girls already enjoying themselves with Deke, the poor soul trying to build a snow fort with them, even if their little hands weren’t much help. “Thank you.” He smiled fondly at how adorable his daughters looked in the winter weather, but instantly felt ashamed that his mother was only just now getting to experience the wonder of such a sight. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “You… I’m sorry you haven’t seen them enough.”

“Hush, there’s no need to apologize,” she assured him, rubbing her hand across his back.  “So, how are they getting on?”

“Really great, actually. Char’s a bit quiet about it, but she adores Molly. And vice versa.”

“They’re good girls,” Jemma added. “They may not _always_ see eye to eye, but they stick together.”

“We’re getting Molly ready for pre-school next year,” Fitz explained. “She’s very excited.”

“A little too excited, if you ask me,” Jemma said through a laugh. “But she wants to see the world. I don’t blame her.”

At that moment, Charlotte appeared at the door leading to the back porch. “Daddy, come look, we made snow angels!” she called, a huge grin on her face.  

Fitz waved at her. “I’ll be right out!” Turning to Jemma, he gestured toward the back garden. “I think my ten minutes are up. Duty calls.”

“Would you grab my coat?” Jemma asked, rising from her chair. “I’m just going to get changed.”

“Wait, you’re sure?”

“Yeah, I don’t want to miss this,” she said, already rushing off to their room.

When she returned wearing a warm turtleneck and snow boots, she was already looking much better than she did a few minutes ago, a bit of color returning to her skin. Fitz helped her get settled in her heavy coat and wrapped a thick scarf around her neck. From her pocket, she pulled out a pair of knit hats she’d grabbed from their suitcases.

“Here,” she told him, urging him forward so she could slip the hat over his head. “Don’t want you catching a cold.” Once it was in place and she fixed a similar one on her own head, she sighed. “You look annoyingly cute in that hat.”

“And you look annoyingly beautiful even though you were ill mere minutes ago,” he replied and followed with a quick peck on her lips.

Raising her brow, she smiled. “You’re not wrong.”

“So…” Fitz said, drawing out the word as he tried to take advantage of his wife’s good mood. “Do I have to wait until Christmas for that second surprise?”

She dropped her jaw. “I’m not telling you _anything_ ,” she scolded. “Hence the surprise.”

“Right, right. We’ll see about that.” Offering her his arm, he smiled. “Ready?”

She nodded, linking her arm through his and waving at Ellie before they stepped out into the cold. Luckily, there wasn’t much of a breeze that day, so it was rather pleasant outside.

“Alright,” Fitz called, “who’s ready to build a snowman—WHOA.” Fitz stumbled backwards, Jemma catching him by the collar of his coat as three snowballs came hurling in his direction. Two of them didn’t quite reach him, but the third hit him straight in his chest.

“Watch it!” Fitz yelled, his voice taking on a playful tone as he smiled, finding his two daughters giggling near the left side of the garden.

“It was Deke’s idea,” Charlotte explained.

“Oh, really?” he asked, eyeing Deke curiously.

Deke stood at the other end of the garden, lifting his hand in a wave. “Guilty.”  

“Well, he has a lot to learn about snowball fights, then,” Fitz said quickly before rushing off into the snow towards his daughters.

“Oh God, be careful!” Jemma warned through a laugh.

While they’d been inside, Deke and the girls had managed to build two small snow forts on opposite ends of the garden, perfect shields for a snowball fight. Fitz signaled his daughters towards him as Deke headed for the one farthest away.

“Come on, stay behind here,” Fitz told them. “Looks like we’ve got to get him back, yeah?”

The two girls nodded eagerly as they already started to collect snow between their hands. After a few minutes of work, Jemma looking on from the porch while she snapped some photos of her little family, Fitz and the girls had a modest pile of snowballs next to them behind their fort.

“Now, let’s see if either of you have sports careers in your future,” said Fitz.  

On his signal, the two girls launched—or attempted to launch—their snowballs as far as they could into Deke’s territory, but they both came up short, the snow landing a few meters from his hiding spot.

Charlotte frowned. “I missed.”

Tilting his head, Fitz shrugged. “Well, you take after your father in that department, so don’t feel bad. But what we have to our advantage is numbers.”

“Go easy on me,” Deke called from behind his snow mound. “I’ve only seen snow maybe two times in my life. And how is three against one a fair game?”

“Because they’re small,” Fitz called back. “And if you even think I would throw a snowball at one of them, you’re insane.”

Fitz didn’t hear a clear response, but he could have sworn her heard a faint _whatever, Gramps_ from Deke’s direction. Bringing his fist up to his mouth, Fitz tried his best to suppress his laughter.

“What do we do?” Charlotte asked.

“Okay, here’s the plan,” Fitz said in a determined hushed tone. “I want you two to make as many snowballs as you can, got it? Make a big pile of them and then see how many you can carry. In the meantime, I’ll figure out the best strategy to…”

But his wife already seemed to be way ahead of him, sneaking her way quiet as a mouse around the edge of the fencing to stay clear out of Deke’s eyeline as she positioned herself behind him. She also happened to have one of his mother’s gardening pails hooked on her arm, which Fitz suspected she’d filled with snowballs of her own.

When she made eye contact with him, a mischievous grin on her face, he gave her a single nod, understanding her plan completely. He crouched back down, grinning as well. Even to this day, she always managed to surprise him with her brilliance.

For a few moments, the girls got back to work piling their snowballs up high with Fitz showing them the best way to form them between their tiny hands.

“That looks great. Perfect, Molly.” With the work of making the snowballs complete, Fitz helped the two girls cradle as many as possible in their arms as they readied for battle.

“Okay, on the count of three,” he explained, “we’re all going to throw a few of our snowballs, but don’t worry if you miss.”

“Okay,” Molly said with conviction.

“And then on my next signal, we’re going to run in Deke’s direction.”

“Run?” Charlotte asked.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun.”

“But why?”

Fitz gave her a subtle smile. “You’ll see.”

Moving into position and making sure both girls had a clear shot to toss their snowballs, Fitz lowered his head. “Ready? One… two… three!”

At his last word, the three sprang into action in throwing a handful of snowballs in Deke’s direction, many of them hitting his snow fort, but missing him by inches. Fitz was impressed to see that Charlotte was already trying to improve her technique as she threw hers harder and farther than she had before. Still, they couldn’t quite reach him.  

And then came their opportunity to gain some much-needed ground as Jemma took aim and threw a perfect snowball directly into the center of Deke’s back. He instantly turned around in shock, dropping a few snowballs in surprise to find the source. Jemma quickly hid as best she could behind a bit of shrubbery, prepping another snowball from her pail.

“Now!” Fitz whispered sharply, and they were off.

With Deke now distracted, Fitz and the girls raced towards him, bundles of snowballs in their arms as Jemma aimed and managed to hit Deke in his side a few more times with her own collection before he realized what was happening. Once he caught sight of the rest of the family charging at him, he cowered back in mock fear, covering his face with his arms as Fitz let the girls throw their snowballs when they reached his side. They didn’t have much strength in their throws, hitting Deke lightly but square in his chest. But Fitz was still impressed by their determination. And Deke thankfully played along, as with each hit, he stumbled backwards until he was lying on his back, completely covered in snow.

“Okay, you win. You win!” he half shouted, the girls now simply piling snow on top of him as he lay still in surrender. “I give up. I give up.”

“Well done, girls!” Jemma said with pride, pulling out her phone from her coat pocket to snap a few pictures.

“Well done, you,” Fitz told Jemma, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

“Okay, I probably deserved that,” Deke admitted.  “Can we make that snowman now?”

Fitz laughed at the state of his friend as more and more of him became hidden from all the snow. “Oh, I think you’re looking pretty close to one already.”

 

 

\---

 

 

It was well after supper before the day finally settled down as the family relaxed in the living room before calling it a night. Unlike that morning, Fitz was pleased to find Jemma feeling much better, the thrill of seeing their children play so joyfully in the snow as a family the perfect remedy for her ill state. She even had her own personal stash of chocolates next to her on the sofa. As Molly lay her head in her mother’s lap, already asleep after such an eventful day filled with snowball fights, snow angels, and a rather extravagant snowman, Charlotte sat in Fitz’s lap on the floor drawing. The colors and paper were an early Christmas present from her Nana, which on normal occasions, Fitz would disapprove (considering he never received any presents early as a child). But with Charlotte so happily entertained at the moment, he couldn’t really complain.

“That looks nice,” Fitz told her, his chin resting on the top of her head.  

Pushing the colors out of the way, she held up the picture to him. “It’s our snowman.”

“Ah, yeah. Is that me?” he asked, pointing to a figure drawn on the right side of the page.

“Nope,” she answered, shaking her head.  

“No?”

“That’s Uncle Deke. _That’s_ you,” she told him, pointing to the figure on the left.

“Oh, I see now.” He recognized her attempt at drawing his curls on the top of his head, along with the blue dots for his eyes. As he looked at the picture more closely, however, he frowned. “You sure made Deke a _lot_ taller than me.”

“But he _is_ taller.”

“Not that much,” he replied through a chuckle, tickling her side as she giggled.  

“Tell her about YoYo’s robot arms.”

Fitz looked up at Deke’s words, having zoned out from the current conversation about their work between the adults. He didn’t mind discussing their current assignments on most occasions, especially since nothing was a secret anymore and most of their projects nowadays were actually related to their respective fields of expertise instead of the bizarre and supernatural phenomenon of the world they used to encounter on a daily basis.

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it an achievement,” Fitz replied with a shrug. “Our team has an unfortunate track record for losing limbs. I…” He trailed off, holding his tongue.  It was difficult to explain when he wasn’t technically the one who’d designed Elena’s new arms. When they’d rescued him from space, Jemma had been adamant about recognizing all of the things he’d accomplished even if he no longer had memories of any of them. She’d insisted that it didn’t matter that he technically didn’t do any of those things – they were still his ideas brought to life, and even if that version of him was gone, his creations lived on with him.

Still, his mother wouldn’t understand any of that, so he tried his best to think of a simplified version of the subject to satisfy her.

Clearing his throat, he continued. “I helped design these mech arms for our friend YoYo, the Inhuman agent I told you about,” he explained to his mother. “It was quite an adjustment since the new arms give her a lot more strength and they’re quite sensitive. But she’s a pro at using them now.”

“That’s wonderful,” his mother replied, smiling softly. “She’s the one with Director Mackenzie, is that right?”

“Soon to be Mrs. Mackenzie,” Jemma pointed out happily.

“Oh, how lovely,” said Ellie, quietly clapping her hands together.  

Fitz gave her a warm smile. “Yeah, we’re all real excited about it. I don’t know if she’ll take his last name, but we’ll see.”

After a slight pause, Jemma cleared her throat. “The mech arms are remarkable, really,” she said, eyeing Fitz as she brought the conversation back to his achievements. “And you’ve upgraded to a fifth-generation model for Coulson’s hand now.”

Avoiding her eyes, Fitz gave her a single nod.  

“He’s really gone all out with it,” she went on. “I wouldn’t be surprised if YoYo comes to him asking for some of the same features.”

“That’s really great, dear,” his mother said, her voice full of pride.  

“Thanks,” Fitz said, smiling weakly.

“Any other new projects?” she asked.

Looking to direct attention away from himself, Fitz gestured in his wife’s direction. “Je-Jemma’s consulting on the Academy’s new science division. Should be great to see who they can recruit out of that program.”

His mother looked to Jemma, who was smiling modestly. “They’re still in the rebuilding stages,” she explained, “but it looks promising. We’ve got a brilliant staff and a full class of students for the first time in years. It’ll be exciting to see where it leads.”

“That’s good to hear,” Ellie told her. “Maybe you’ll find some other young and bright engineers.”

Fitz cast his eyes down, focusing his attention on the movement of Charlotte’s crayon against her drawing instead of the current conversation.

“I definitely hope so,” Jemma continued in a softer voice. “Something tells me a certain engineer was a rare find back in the day, but I’m on the lookout for anyone half as brilliant.”  

Fitz lifted his gaze for just a moment, finding Jemma looking at him with a mix of admiration and quiet concern. Thankfully, she didn’t press, instead looking down at the sleeping child in her lap.

“Long day for this one,” she said, sweeping Molly’s hair behind her ear. “She’ll need plenty of rest for tomorrow.”

Fitz nodded in agreement before nudging Charlotte gently where she still sat in his lap. “Ready for bed?”

She shook her head despite the yawn that escaped her.  

“Are you sure? You know, the earlier you go to bed, the faster it will be until morning when you’ll get to see what Father Christmas brought you.”

The mention of gifts seemed to get her attention, so she pushed up on her hands to stand and turned around. She met his eyes for a moment before looking back down, pulling on one of the buttons of his cardigan. “You’ve got that face,” she said quietly.  

Fitz narrowed his eyes slightly. “What face?”

“The not happy not sad face,” Charlotte explained. “The in-between face.”

At her words, Fitz looked down, a small smile spreading on his face. He always saw so much of Jemma in their two daughters.  They were both a spitting image of her, plus their heartwarming personalities that made them clear descendants of their mother’s kindness. Yet as time went on and Charlotte grew to become more and more of her own person, he was surprised to see himself in her, especially in moments like these. Her mind certainly worked in wondrous ways, and he knew from now on, he would never be able to hide anything from her no matter how hard he tried.

He swept her hair out of her face, cupping her cheek. “You’re very observant, aren’t you?

“What’s observant?” she asked, sounding out the word slowly.

“You notice things. Like how you know when your mum needs a hug. That kind of thing.”

She seemed to sense that he wasn’t just talking about Jemma, so standing on her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Fitz inhaled deeply, rubbing his hand up and down her back as she snuggled closer.  

“But don’t worry,” he assured her, pulling back. “I’m just a little tired, that’s all. And you’re too clever for you own good.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means… it means you’re already one of the most caring people I know.”

As she took in his words, she brought one of her hands up to wipe her eyes, her eyelids clearly becoming heavy.

“You’re tired too,” he said, poking her lightly. “I can see it.” She nodded her head, so Fitz urged her towards the sofa. “Here, go say goodnight to Deke and Nana.”

“Just one more sleep until Christmas,” Deke told her as he brought her in for a hug. She then moved on to her Nana, kissing her cheek before returning to Fitz’s side.

“I’ve got them,” Fitz told Jemma, rubbing her shoulder before bringing his hand to Molly’s sleeping form in her mother’s lap.  

“You’re sure?” Jemma asked.

“Yeah, you can go on ahead to our room.”

After Jemma kissed both girls, Fitz picked up Molly, her head instantly settling onto his shoulder, and then gave his Mum and Deke a silent wave before tugging on Charlotte’s hand.

“Are you sure Father Christmas knows we’re here?” Charlotte asked as they walked down the hall towards their bedroom.

Fitz smiled down at her, feeling a bit of pride at his daughter’s logical mind. “I’m positive.”

 

 

\---

 

 

Tiptoeing into the bedroom, Fitz shut the door softly behind him, not wanting to disturb the quiet that now consumed the house. He found Jemma sitting cross-legged near the edge of the mattress, swiping through her phone as she marveled over the collection of photos that she had taken earlier that day.

“Thank you for putting them to bed,” she said as she looked up smiling.

“Yeah, no problem. Everyone’s fast asleep,” he said through a yawn. “Hopefully,” he added.

Jemma raised her eyebrows. “Hopefully?”

“Well, as tired as they are, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re sitting up in bed trying their hardest to hear sleigh bells, but we can pretend like they’re out for now.”

She hummed in understanding. “We’ll still want to wait a bit before we put everything out.”

“Right, good idea.”

Placing her phone in her lap, she began gathering her long strands of hair on top of her head. “Would you…?” she asked, gesturing towards the dressing table.

“Yeah, sure,” he said, swiping a hair tie and bringing it to her as he collapsed down onto the bed.

“Thank you.” Pulling her hair through the elastic, she secured it into a messy bun, a few stray hairs framing her face.  

Scrunching his nose, Fitz leaned towards her to plant a quick kiss on her cheek. “You know, I still like the fringe. Especially like this.”

Jemma pulled in her lips, an innocent smile blooming on her face. “Maybe I’ll reconsider growing them out, then.” Focusing her attention back to her phone, her smile widened. “Look at this one,” she said with a bit more whimsy in her voice. Tucking her feet underneath herself on the mattress, she leaned in close to him so he could see her phone screen. The image on display was a moment almost too precious for words – the girls all bundled up in their winter attire, with Charlotte holding Molly close to her chest in a sweet hug. Fitz was surprised Jemma was able to capture the moment so perfectly, with Molly usually only staying still for a brief few seconds before running off again to play in the snow.

A warm smile spreading on his face, Fitz squeezed Jemma’s knee. “Aw, that’s nice.”

“I know it’s a bit early to be thinking about Christmas cards, but this would be a great shot.”

“Yeah, good idea.”

She moved her finger to swipe across the screen. “And this one.”

Fitz’s breath nearly caught in his throat when he saw the next one on display. It was a shot she’d taken spontaneously of the two of them, her gloves designed to work with touch screens coming in handy as she snapped away in the freezing weather. Instead of looking at the camera, Fitz’s eyes were on her, his expression so full of love and bliss. She was looking off to where their children were covering Deke with snow, the wind sweeping her hair back as the chill in the air brought a soft rose to her cheeks. Jemma was right – it was a great shot of the two of them. There was something about photographs in general that always made him remember small moments he would otherwise forget. And this shot in particular somehow captured exactly how he felt every day since she’d rescued him from space – overwhelmingly lucky.

Fitz gave her a soft smile, astonished that they’d not only experienced such a lovely and joyful afternoon, but also that Jemma had managed to capture it in such a way so they could remember it for years to come. “I like that one a lot,” he whispered.  Swallowing the slight lump that had formed in his throat, he took the phone from her hand and swiped a few photos back to find the one he’d taken himself. “I’m partial to this one though.”

When he tilted the phone in her direction, Jemma let out an infectious laugh. “Oh, poor thing. He didn’t know what he was up against.” The shot featured Deke covered almost completely with snow, the aftermath of their snowball fight having turned him into a snowman before their eyes. When Charlotte had wrapped the thick red scarf they’d originally saved for their actual snowman around Deke’s neck, Fitz couldn’t resist taking a few shots, fully planning on having one framed for their lab.

“We’ve taught them well, haven’t we?” Fitz asked her.

“Oh, yes, definitely,” Jemma said through a giggle.

Fitz checked the time on the phone before handing it back to her. “Another few minutes, then? Shouldn’t be long now before they give up and actually fall asleep.”

“Yeah, a few minutes should be fine,” Jemma said, nodding.

A short silence between them filled the room, and just as Fitz was about to lay back flat on the mattress and close his eyes, Jemma’s hand brushed against his arm.  

“So, while we wait…” Her fingers trailed the edge of his cardigan before she rested her hand on his chest. On any other occasion, he would have turned his head to find her lips in the darkness, their moments alone more sacred than ever since their family grew to more than just two. But from her tone, he knew she was after something else entirely, concern laced in her voice, along with a faint hint that she already knew what was on his mind.  

He thought he’d gotten away with avoiding a conversation ever since their talk in the living room from the previous hour—or for him, a more lack of talking—but Jemma was too clever for that. When he simply exhaled and looked to her, he found that same concern he’d heard in her voice written on her face.

“Are you going to tell me what’s troubling you or would you like me to guess?” she asked him.

Seeing the knowing look in her eye, he instantly lowered his gaze. “I’m sorry.”

“Fitz,” she said, her tone more soothing as she brought her hand to his back, “there’s no need to apologize, but you must know by now that you don’t have to hide anything from me.”

“I know. I’m not trying to, I just…” Leaning forward, he let his head fall into his hands. “I don’t really know how to make sense of it. That’s why I haven’t said anything.”

Moving her hand up and down his spine, she sighed. “You tensed up when we started looking through your mum’s old photo albums. You avoided talking about your projects. You have so many things to be proud of – you didn’t even _mention_ all the work you’ve done in designing the new tactical suits for Inhumans.”

He nodded. “I know.”

“Help me understand what’s going on,” she pleaded.

“I…”

He hadn’t even realized just how much he was avoiding discussing his past in his mum’s presence, as if it was almost second nature to steer those conversations in other directions whenever he was reminded of simpler times of him and Jemma as lab partners at the Academy or the early days on the Bus. Admitting what was going on to Jemma was probably the easiest part in all of this. Of course, once he admitted his feelings to her, he would have to actually do something about them.

After a moment’s pause, he sighed, pulling his hand down his face. “I haven’t told her. About anything in detail since the pod. Not really. And a part of me wants to tell her everything that way I don’t have to hide anything anymore, but then…”

When he didn’t continue for a moment, she scooted closer to him. “But what, Fitz?”

“What if she can’t look at me the same way?” he finally asked.

Jemma tilted her head, her face slightly falling at his words.

“She talks about the Academy all the time and about when I was still a kid,” he went on. “And it keeps reminding me of how I was before everything bad happened to us. How things were before I…” He trailed off, lowering his eyes. Just because things were different now and the team had slowly come to terms with everything since the time loop, it never made it any easier when the mere mention of his past actions forced his mind to relive the truth. “I don’t know if telling her is going to make any difference or if it’s going to make things drastically worse.”

Jemma raised an eyebrow. “Well, if not telling her causes you to feel like this, then I think that’s your answer.” Pushing herself off the bed, Jemma kneeled down in front of him, placing her hands on his knees. “What exactly is it you want to tell her?” she asked, looking up.

“Everything,” he admitted.

“Time loop?” she asked softly.

He shrugged. “Amongst other things.” Pausing to bite his lip, he searched for the proper words to explain. “She doesn’t know who I am anymore. Not exactly. And it doesn’t feel fair now that we’re not going on missions to keep her in the dark any longer.”

“You’re right. She deserves to know what you’ve been through, no matter how different our lives are now.”

He shook his head in disbelief, almost laughing at himself. To be in his position, to have the gift of such a loving and supportive family, not to mention his team – he knew how fortunate he was. But it was still such a big leap to admit everything to his mother, the person whose opinion of him mattered the most. “I haven’t felt this nervous about talking to her in a long time.”

“Hey, that’s understandable.” Pulling at his hands, she cradled them between her own, her thumb sweeping across the ring on his left hand. “It’s the first time you’ve been in this house for a long time, and now it’s going to be the first time you’ve properly talked to her about everything that’s happened. It’s a lot to explain to one person.”

“I don’t even know where to start.”

She thought intently for a moment, her eyes staring at the floor before returning to his. “Start small,” she said simply, a quiet smile brightening her face in the darkness. “Tell her about going to space. We’ve been kidnapped half a dozen times, surely that’s an easy story to tell.”

“But what if she doesn’t understand? What if – what if it’s too much for her? And she, I don’t know, she’s ashamed or something or—”

“Hey,” she cut in, shaking her head firmly. “Don’t do that.”

He let out a shaky breath, trying to get a hold of himself with his fears finally out in the open. Clearly, she could sense his spiraling thoughts and knew nothing good would come of this line of thinking, so she returned to her previous sitting position next to him on the bed, bringing her hand up to cradle his cheek. “She _loves_ you,” she said fiercely. “More than anything in the world. I promise you – you’ll feel better if you’re honest with her. Even if you don’t share _everything_ , she deserves to know that you’ve been through more than most go through in a lifetime. And…” She paused, shifting to swing her legs across his lap as she settled into his side, “You’re in a good place right now, better than you’ve ever been in a long time.”

Through a deep sigh, he nodded in agreement, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. In retrospect, his worries weren’t nearly as severe as they used to be. He used to live with the constant fear of losing himself again to the darkness inside his mind, the brief but firm retelling of certain past events sending him spiraling into despair. He used to live with the fear of always seeing those pained glances across the room between himself and the team, the missing pieces of his life forcing him to shut down without any idea of how to fix those broken relationships.

But eventually, he got through it. He learned more details about what he missed, he found a new routine, and most importantly, he talked more openly. It was never easy, obviously, but slowly, he found himself laughing again. Living again. And soon, he knew where he wanted to take his life with Jemma, if she’d have him again. For her, thankfully, that wasn’t even a question.  

It was what he always thought of when he found himself struggling with his thoughts – how lucky he was to have his biggest concern most days being the safety and happiness of his wife and children.

Somehow, Jemma seemed to be thinking of the very same sentiments, whispering against his chest, “We’re dealing with new sorts of stress and mysteries, but of the childcare variety.”

“Right,” he said, his smile matching hers and his voice a bit lighter since the start of their conversation. “It’s a different sort of adventure.”

“You know, she talked about you with me,” Jemma said sweetly, her lashes fluttering as she looked up at him. “How strange it is for you to be home with a family of your own. A good strange, of course. You should have seen her looking at you through the window when we were playing out there in the snow. It’s her dream come true, a Christmas like this.”

Squeezing her shoulder, he touched his forehead to her temple. “For you, too.”

“It is,” she agreed, “and it can be even better once you get all of this weight off your shoulders.”

Her face grew more serious in that moment, and Fitz sensed a shift in the energy between them, listening closely to her next words.

“And I know from experience…,” she said, swallowing, “that talking about everything is a good thing in the end.” With her voice suddenly growing thick, he sought out her gaze, seeing a few tears collecting in her eyes. He pulled her closer to him, bringing his hand up to cup her cheek as she gave him a weak smile.

“Before we…found you in space,” she said a bit painfully, Fitz swiping his thumb across her cheek, “I didn’t know how I was going to tell you. How you would even comprehend what had happened or what you would feel about everything you missed. Because it wasn’t that much time, not really. But it was still a lot to me, and I knew it would feel like a lifetime for you.”

Fitz nodded, waiting patiently until she was ready to continue.

After a moment to collect herself, she sighed. “Originally, I thought about keeping things from you just for your sake. I didn’t want you to feel like you needed to live up to this other version of yourself, that you were somehow less than the other because you weren’t there. But I knew if I’d kept secrets from you, it would’ve eaten you up inside.”

Fitz hummed in agreement. They’d discussed this topic at other points in time in bits and pieces, but hearing it in full again was a reminder of just how lucky they were to be where they were in their relationship. It still broke his heart whenever he remembered just how much of their past that she carried with her on a daily basis, the certain memories he sometimes found himself fortunate enough to never have to relive.

“So that’s why I told you everything,” she said firmly, a tear escaping the corner of her eye, which Fitz wiped away gently. “The good and the bad because even if some things were painful to hear, it filled in the gaps. It gave you clarity that everything happened the way it did and now we’re living in this timeline with a fresh start.”

“It did help,” he assured her. “I don’t know how else I would have gotten through it. And I… I feel closer to you than I ever have before.”

Jemma’s smile at his words sent a wave of warmth through his chest. “I feel that too,” she told him. “And so, _you_ can give her that clarity. That reassurance that you’re here now, and that’s what’s important.”

Closing his eyes, he leaned his forehead against hers, basking in the quiet for a moment as they simply held each other, their safe haven for the last two decades. He could see it more clearly now, that the only way forward was to make things clear with his mother, no matter how painful it would be to admit. Maybe it would be a disaster. But maybe not.

“Okay,” he finally whispered.

“Okay?” she whispered back, her breath tickling his cheek.

“I’ll tell her.” He was surprised by how certain his voice sounded. “I don’t know when, but… I will.”

She gave him a blissful smile. “Good.”

“You know,” he said, wiping the rest of her tears away, “I still feel just as lucky as I did the day you said yes.”

Despite his serious tone, Jemma let out a little laugh, instantly covering her mouth since they were still trying to stay quiet with their sleeping children on the other side of the wall. “What did you _think_ I would say?” she whispered.  

“I don’t know,” he said innocently. “I was fairly certain I knew your answer, but it was still nice to get a confirmation.” He shook his head, still feeling a bit silly. “Anyway,” he said, taking her hand in his in the space between them, “thank you. For… being here and talking all this through when it’s clearly not easy to revisit all of that. And I know you still struggle some days.”

She gave him a half shrug. “That’s true. But not right now. Right now, I’m here in this beautiful house with the people I love the most. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

“Not even a pony?”

That earned him another suppressed giggle. “That is a lovely idea, but no. Not even a pony.”

When they each grew quiet again, Fitz couldn’t help himself this time and found Jemma’s lips in the darkness, falling into a sweet and tender kiss as she climbed more fully into his lap. They had a way of kissing nowadays that sent his heart racing every moment they could steal away for just the two of them. On this night, they moved slowly, Jemma bringing her hands to his jaw as she deepened their kiss, Fitz holding her close in his arms, wanting to savor every bit of warmth they shared between them. Her fingers were still cold as ice against his skin, and as he moved to collapse against the bed, she chuckled against his mouth, holding him in place. He let out a subtle whine as she broke their kiss and tried to seek her out for more, but she placed a finger to his lips to halt his chase.

“I know what you’re doing,” she said, raising her eyebrows in a knowing look he’d seen a thousand times over the years.

“What? We still have some time to kill…” Leaning in, he brushed his lips against her neck before moving to press more kisses along her collarbone.   

“ _Fitz._ ” She drew out his name in a whine of her own before holding his face between her hands. “You’re being _all_ romantic, you think you’re so clever, don’t you?”

Pulling back, he gave her a puzzled look.

At his expression, she huffed lightly. “No amount of romancing out of you is going to get you your surprise early.”

A bright smile widened on his face at her words. It hadn’t even crossed his mind, but he had to admit – he wouldn’t have minded if he’d gotten his surprise early.

“You even got that twinkly eye thing going that you know I adore,” she said through a slight roll of her eyes.  

“What eye thing?” he asked, tilting his head.

“Ugh, it just comes naturally, of _course_. Either way, you’ll get your surprise soon enough.” Looping her arms around his neck, she sat back down onto the mattress, now properly draped over his lap. “Be patient.”   

“And when have I ever been patient?”

“Well, I can think of a few examples. But trust me. It will be worth the wait. And besides,” she said happily, nudging him in his side, “we’ve got work to do, Father Christmas.”

“Ah, yes. You’re right.” He knew this was one of her favorite parts of the holiday as a mother, always going out of her way to make Christmas morning feel special for their little ones. But he didn’t feel like giving her up just yet, so instead of letting her escape to retrieve all of the gifts his mum had sneakily hidden around the house, he pulled her in close to his body and lifted her up in his arms as he stood.

“Wha— _Fitz_ ,” she said in mock protest, giggling against his chest.

“Your slippers are too noisy on the hardwood,” he explained as he carried her, reaching for the door as best he could. “Best we do it this way so they don’t hear you filling up their stockings.”

“You’re ridiculous,” she said softly, brushing her fingers across his cheek.  

“Can I eat the mince pie? You did just say I’m Father Christmas.”

“I think we both hold that title, but yes, you may.” She thought for a moment, and then pursed her lips. “Unless, of course, Deke’s already gotten his hands on it.”

Instantly, Fitz frowned. “Oh, we can’t have that,” he replied hastily, quickening his pace as he managed to shuffle them a bit clumsily out the door. And as Jemma’s faint laughter rang in the air, they went about their late-night task of transforming the base of the Christmas tree into a brilliant sight for their children to discover come morning.


	3. Chapter 3

The blaring knock on the door came much sooner than Fitz would have liked, savoring the warmth of their bed and the presence of Jemma asleep in his arms, unlike the previous morning. At the rapping noise, he groaned, pulling Jemma closer to his chest as he tried to escape under the many layers of blankets. It was Christmas morning, yes, and he knew there was a plenty long list of things planned for the holiday, including unwrapping, cooking, and even more adventures in the snow. Still, it was nice to simply relish in the beauty of the morning, his wife’s presence a peaceful comfort in the middle of their usual chaotic roles as parents. Of course, all of the other guests in the household were clearly ready for the busy day to begin, and they weren’t about to let the two of them miss out on all of the exciting festivities.

“Are you two awake yet?” Deke called out from behind the door.  

Jemma hummed against Fitz’s chest. “What a lovely wake up call.”

“ _No_ ,” Fitz called back to Deke before pulling the blankets completely over himself and Jemma, a fit of giggles escaping her. It was dreadfully cold that morning, and her feet were near icicles as they brushed against his leg.

“Alright, well,” Deke continued, “that’s gonna have to change in the next five seconds or I’m coming in there.”

Fitz let his head fall back dramatically against his pillow. “Ugh, I love him, but he’s the worst.”

“Fitz, come on. It’s _Christmas_.”

“Yes, but they can wait five more minutes.”

“Are you decent?” Deke asked, his voice drowning out the faint sound of laughter from the other side of the door.  

“Yes,” Jemma called back.

“ _Jemma,”_ Fitz mock scolded her.

“What? We are, though!”

Her answer was clearly the invitation Deke was waiting for as he swung the door wide open, revealing Charlotte and Molly at his side.

“MERRY CHRISTMAS!” the trio cheered before rushing into the room, the two children jumping on the mattress. They were already in their holiday jumpers, Molly now back in her original reindeer one, her light brown curls springy and soft in the morning light.

“Oh, God. I forgot that he is his most enthusiastic self on holidays,” Fitz moaned before sitting up to pull Molly into his lap. She was always energetic in the mornings, but this was something else entirely.

“Merry Christmas, Daddy!”

“These two have been awake for nearly an hour,” Deke informed them, “and I have been _telling_ them repeatedly that they have to wait for you to get up before they can open presents. Which—I know—is cruel on my part, but I like to think I’m setting a good example. Right, Charlotte?”

Her face perked up at hearing her name, but clearly not having any idea what he was talking about and focusing more on reaching her mother, she stayed silent.

Deke gave her a nod. “What she said.”

“Deke. Out. _Please._ ” Fitz said firmly, pointing towards the door. “I’m not awake enough for that many words. Or your abnormally loud voice.”

“Alright, well, you’ve only got five minutes before I’m going to physically drag you out of that bed.”

Fitz sighed in relief as his friend turned to leave. “Right. Got it. Thanks for that.”

Once Deke was out of sight, Jemma pulled Charlotte into her arms for a tight hug. “Come here, Merry Christmas! Did you sleep well?”

Both girls nodded, Molly already bouncing in Fitz’s lap, clearly ready for the day.

“That’s good,” Jemma said, kissing Charlotte’s crown. “Because _I_ couldn’t sleep. I think I heard someone in the house in the middle of the night.”

“Oh, who do you think it was?” Fitz asked her, a smile widening on his face as he heard Molly gasp.

“They were gone before I got a chance to see,” she said through a pout.

“Do you think we should see if they left anything?” he asked. “Maybe… under the tree?”

“I don’t know, I’m…” stretching her arms above her head, Jemma yawned dramatically, “still a bit tired. Maybe we should sleep for a wee longer.”

“No, Mummy, please,” both girls whined as Molly crawled over to Jemma’s side to join Charlotte.

“Alright, alright,” Jemma told them, holding the girls close to her chest. “We’ll be right out, I promise.”

After a few more kisses from their dad, they ran out of the room to find Deke. With the room silent once more, Fitz collapsed back against the bed, pulling Jemma along with him.

“Good morning,” he said happily, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Her smile brightened her entire face, and Fitz felt a wave of warmth fill his chest. “Good morning, indeed,” she said, swooping in to kiss him properly.

 

 

\---

 

 

With the girls already sitting rather impatiently in front of the tree, Fitz brought a tray filled with tea in festive mugs over to the living room so that they could get about opening the gifts straight away. When he greeted his mother that morning in the kitchen, the smell of holiday spices filling the air, she embraced him warmly, already having been up for a few hours as she prepared for their traditional Christmas dinner. He still didn’t know when he would talk to her about everything – maybe after their Christmas feast, or maybe closer to the end of their stay. Now, all he wanted to focus on was seeing his daughters’ faces when they opened their gifts and the joy that they were bound to experience on such a magical day.

Once everyone was settled in front of the tree, the adults allowed the children to go first for a bit, leaving them free to finally unwrap the treasures that lay within the boxes under the tree. In a few moments’ time, the living room was covered in an explosion of shiny wrapping paper, ribbon, and a small growing mountain of new toys. Ellie looked completely content within the mess that the girls had created, and Fitz didn’t mind either, figuring he could put Deke to work with the cleaning as him and Jemma put all their children’s toy sets together.

“You can open that one next,” Ellie said, pointing to a large square box near the front of the tree.

Jemma greedily took the box over to her and Fitz and swiftly removed the wrapping, her expression filled with utter glee at the surprise inside.  

“Oh, _look_ , Fitz. Cardigans!”

The cozy (and thankfully, not entirely matching) set of cardigans looked like the perfect additions to their wardrobes. Jemma was already modeling hers, the piece a dark burgundy shade with deep pockets and fabric that draped effortlessly over her figure. Fitz’s was a bit more structured, the rich navy color and thickly woven material an excellent choice for the rest of the coming winter weather.

“They’re great, Mum,” he said, pulling his on as well. “Thank you.”

Returning to her seat next to Fitz on the sofa, Jemma clasped her hands together. “Alright, who’s next?”

“I’ll go.” Without a hint of hesitation, Deke pushed himself off the sofa and moved round toward the back of the Christmas tree.

“What?” Fitz asked, surprised. Deke was never one for conventional gifts, often too fascinated with everyday household gadgets to pick out anything remotely exciting. And yet there he was pulling out two identical rectangular gift-wrapped boxes that had been hidden in the far corner where Fitz hadn’t noticed them before.

“Aw, Deke, you didn’t have to,” Jemma insisted sweetly before giving Fitz a curious glance. He shrugged in response.

Deke waved them off. “Seriously, it’s the least I could do for you putting up with me over the years.” The boxes were covered in red paper with bows tied in gold ribbon, likely professionally wrapped from their appearance. “Here we are. One for you two,” he said, handing the first package to Fitz and Jemma. “And one for you,” he finished, placing the second one carefully in Ellie’s hands.

Meeting his mother’s eyes, Fitz gave her a puzzled expression. He couldn’t imagine what could be inside that Deke deemed an appropriate gift for both him and his mum. She shrugged, looking intrigued to see what was inside.

“Well, open them!” Deke told them after a moment of them silently looking at the packages in their laps.

With a nod, Fitz let Jemma do the honors, her gentle hands pulling on the ends of the ribbon to release the bow before carefully pulling back the paper. Once she got the lid off the box, she pulled back a layer of tissue paper and found a simple picture frame, large enough to mount on the wall. But Fitz wasn’t focused on the frame or his thoughts of how Deke had managed to get the gifts here in one piece. His eyes focused solely on the black and white photograph staring back at him.

He made a quick glance up at his mother, her eyes set in a soft expression as she gazed at the gift in her lap.

 _“_ Oh my _,”_ she whispered.

Inside the delicate frame was a photograph of Fitz and his mum just after his second birthday. He didn’t remember the day exactly, the moment blending together with dozens of other memories from his early childhood, all of them of just him and her, the inseparable pair. That day had been a cold one, so he was dressed in a thick jumper and fuzzy socks. It also happened to be the photograph that had been missing from the photo album, the one that had secretly been one of his favorites. And now here it was right in front of him again. Even if not in the way he ever expected, it managed to find its way back to him.

“Oh, Fitz. It’s beautiful,” Jemma whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“I found the original behind a bookcase when I was fixing the shelving in her office,” Deke explained, scratching behind his ear. “Was probably there for a while.”

Curious as ever, Molly ran over from her spot on the floor and stood next to her grandmother to peer inside the box. “Who is it? Who’s in the picture?” she asked.

“Well, that’s me,” Ellie said, her voice slightly wavering as she pointed to herself in the photograph. “And that’s your dad. He was about your age, I reckon.”

Molly looked over to Fitz before returning her eyes to the frame. “He’s so small.”

“That’s right. That was a long time ago, but it feels like no time has passed since then.” Reaching up, she gestured for Deke to come over and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Thank you. You’ll have to hang it for me. Right up there would be nice.” She pointed to an empty space on the back wall.

“Yeah, that’ll look great,” he agreed.  

Fitz was silent through this entire exchange, he breath catching in this throat as his eyes welled up. He didn’t know what came over him, whether it was the sight of the photograph, his mother’s words, his talk with Jemma from the night before, or a combination of all three. But whatever it was, he suddenly felt as if a dam had burst open in his chest, an endless wave of emotions flooding through him as he took in the image. Because the photograph reminded him of exactly what he missed most – just being here and knowing that he could tell his mum anything at all without fear of judgment. He could feel it within his grasp from the way she looked his way whenever he got quiet, as if she already knew how much he kept buried and wanted more than anything to be on the same page. Even if he wasn’t as small anymore, and even if they would never truly be the same people, he needed her to know every part of him.

“Fitz?”

He managed to pull himself out of his state to hear Jemma’s voice and notice Charlotte approaching him. Once she was at his side, she placed her hand on his knee. “What’s wrong, Daddy?”

He shook his head, giving her a sad smile. “Nothing. I just…” He paused to clear his throat. “I didn’t think I’d ever see this one again.”

Silently, Jemma leaned in close to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders, her other hand finding his as she brought her lips up to softly kiss his temple. “Now would be a good time, hmm?” she asked at a half whisper before  brushing away the single tear that had trailed down his cheek.

He nodded, knowing if he didn’t go through with it now, he didn’t know if he ever would.

With a hopeful smile, she slowly rose from the sofa. “Girls, why don’t we go in the kitchen with Uncle Deke and start breakfast, yeah?” She kept her voice light, likely to try and distract their children from Fitz’s current state. “We’ll have plenty of time to open the rest of the gifts a little later, and I know you wanted to show Deke how we make our pancakes, right Molly?”

“They look like animals,” she told him.

“Well, that’s really cool,” Deke said as he led her towards the kitchen.

“They don’t always look right,” she explained.

Deke chuckled. “As long as you try, that’s all that matters.”

Their voices trailed off, and before Jemma joined them, she turned to Fitz one last time. He still hadn’t shifted his eyes from the picture, the image still taking him back to a time he missed more than he cared to admit. When he finally looked up to meet her gaze, her eyes were kind.

“Take as long as you need. Deke and I will keep them occupied.” Giving him a final kiss on the top of his head, she finally turned towards the kitchen. “Come on, Charlotte,” she said, taking her daughter’s hand. Reluctantly, the little girl followed her mother, giving Fitz a small wave before she was out of sight.  

Once Fitz and his mum were finally alone, neither of them said a word, and then he heard her rise from her chair as she placed her picture frame carefully back inside its box. His mind already racing, desperate to conjure up the words as Jemma had instructed for him to start small, he brought his hands to his lap and began massaging his left one as he sat in thought.

As his mother settled onto the sofa next to him, she exhaled deeply and then lightly touched his knee. “You’ve been quiet since you got here,” she said. “You were always quiet, you know. Always inside your head. But this is something else, I suspect.”

Swallowing hard, he nodded. “I was worried that… things would be different. That it wouldn’t be the same between us, after all this time.”

“And why would that be?”

The feeling of her gaze on him was almost too much to bear, so he finally lifted his head and met her eyes. “Because I’m different. I’m not the same person I was when I left for the Academy, I’m not the same son that… you imagine as this brave S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.”

Smiling softly, she shifted closer to him on the sofa. “Of course, you aren’t the same. You’re a father now, a devoted husband. That changes you.”

“But it’s not just that.” He paused, glancing off towards the floor for a moment. “A lot has happened since the pod.”

“I figured as much. That was a long time ago.”  

“Mum, I’ve… I’ve done things that I’m not proud of, things that if you knew, you’d think I…” He shook his head, pulling in his lips.

“Hmm?”

“I don’t know. That I’m a bad person.”

She kept her expression neutral as she took in his words. Then, she leaned towards him and squeezed his knee gently. “So, tell me.”

Of course, for her, it would be that simple. A conversation. But she didn’t know what was coming, didn’t know just how dreadfully dark the last few years had been for him and the rest of the team. Even with Jemma’s reassurance that laying everything out in the open was the best way forward – no matter how twisted and confusing the details of their tragedy-filled paradox were – it was still a lot to share.  

But his mum was looking at him with an air of gentle patience that he knew so well. If there was any moment to begin his story, it was now.

And so, he told her. Jemma had been right – starting small was the easiest way into their tragic storyline, a storyline that still ended with them here with their gorgeous daughters on this very Christmas. First, he talked of projects gone wrong, moments of betrayal, the team breaking apart and coming back together again. For the more painful memories, he took it slow, pausing often to give her time to comprehend the horrors he was sharing with her for the first time.

He left out a couple of details, of course. For the first, he never mentioned Radcliffe by name, knowing she didn’t need to be reminded of the person who was now a ghost they hoped would stay hidden forever within the depths of their memories.  The other was the thing he knew would break her heart just like it had Jemma’s. He didn’t want his mother to have to think about a part of him disappearing from this Earth and another part living on. But for everything else, it flowed out of him all at once – a nearly endless story that somehow easily cascaded from his mind. Saying it all out loud reminded him of just how much they had gone through in the relatively short amount of time since the pod. And even as he continued on – to space, to the future, to a new timeline – it somehow got easier. With each new detail he shared, it was almost as if each memory was letting go of the tension it used to hold on his mind. Bit by bit, it was all easing up until he was left with the only thing he had left to worry about – what she would think.

When he finished, ending with the remaining members of the team rebuilding at the Lighthouse, he let out a deep exhale and waited. She didn’t respond immediately, but he didn’t expect her to. She wasn’t crying, which was what he thought would be a possible reaction, so that was a promising sign. And she also wasn’t getting up to leave as he suspected she might, the truth behind her only son’s life since the last horrific event had nearly taken him from her a much more terrifying reality.

Instead, she took his hand.

He looked to her in confusion, finding her expression much lighter than he’d anticipated. She gave him an almost sad smile, one he’d seen from her on multiple occasions, yet he still couldn’t decipher exactly what she was thinking.

“So?” he asked hesitantly, the weight of her hand against his a driving force that urged him to stay put and not hide away like he might have before.

“That’s quite a story,” she said simply.

He nodded. “I know it’s difficult to hear. I’m sure you thought we were just laying low for a while but still saving the day. It was obviously a lot more complicated than that.”

“It clears things up, that’s for sure,” she said through a heavy sigh. “I always knew there would be long stretches of time when I didn’t know where you were…” she looked down at their hands for a moment, swallowing before her next words. “Or if you were even alive.”

Fitz squeezed her hand, sensing the moment when she would break. He’d tried to prepare himself for it, knowing simply hearing his story may cause his mother just as much anguish as actually living through it. “Are you… upset?”

She almost laughed at his simple question. “Of course I am.”

“Right, I’m… I’m sorry. I—"

“Leo,” she cut in, “I… I can’t imagine you carrying those memories with you all this time. It’s too much for one person.”

At her response, Fitz’s brow furrowed through his confusion.

She took in his expression with a half-smile. “Why would I be upset with _you_?”

Fitz opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn’t find the words to convey his feelings. He truly didn’t know what to expect from her reaction, but from hearing her say the words with such conviction behind them, he could already feel his previous worries starting to shed away from his being. She may never understand the technical side of his work as an engineer and a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, but he always hoped she would understand the human side of it all – the parts that mattered most. And now he knew for certain that she did.

As he sat in stunned silence, she brought her hand up to his cheek. “You’re always overthinking in that brilliant but stubborn mind of yours.”

He nodded, closing his eyes for a moment and leaning into her hand as he processed the weight of her words.

“You don’t get to assume how I’ll think, okay?” she went on. “I’ll never understand everything you do in this life of yours, but what I do understand is that nothing can ever take away what’s inside of you, the thing about you that makes you different from so many people in the world.” She pressed her hand to his chest just over his heart. “You care so much. You want to be a good person and you _are_. No matter how much you tell yourself that you’re not.”

Fitz shook his head in disbelief. “So, you’re not – I don’t know what I expected, I don’t…”

“I see you for you who are – all of you.” Reaching over him, she took the frame from where it sat next to him and placed it over their laps. “I see the boy in this picture, and I see the man sitting right in front of me,” she said passionately.  

He looked down to take in the picture once again. This time, he noticed new things he hadn’t before, like how his mum’s hair looked lighter, and how he was looking up at her as he sat in her lap. Seeing it now, he realized just how much had changed between them beyond what he always deemed as the most obvious things. For one, he didn’t look up at her anymore, not in the way he used to as a child when he didn’t know what to make of the world. Now he lived on his own with his own family and responsibilities, taking on the world in ways he knew she could never prepare him for, but that was okay. It wasn’t her job anymore. And she’d changed too, becoming a stronger version of herself than what was depicted in the photograph. She radiated a sort of carefree energy as she sat with her young son in her lap in the photograph, not yet aware of what was in store for her future. She would harden in the moments after they were abandoned, fall apart when she felt she had failed as a mother. But she hadn’t. Fitz knew this now more than ever. Together, they were different people, yes, but also wiser. They were braver, more grounded, and most importantly, they knew just how lucky they were to still have each other.

Fitz was grateful to have the photograph back in his life to remind him of all of these things, and to know that his mother could look at an identical copy and feel the same way was an even greater gift.

When he looked back up at his mother, she pointed towards the kitchen. “That exists because of you. Granted, that wife of yours has a lot to do with it, but you just brought home the two most extraordinary children I’ve ever seen. They adore you. And they’re better judges of character than any of us will ever be.”

“Yeah, they are,” he agreed.

“The fact that you’re here right now is a blessing beyond words. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen you this well.”

“I am well. I feel really good.”

“That’s wonderful.” Taking his hands more firmly in hers, she looked at him with an almost determined expression. “No matter what happens, when we have family, children…” she looked off towards the kitchen, smiling wide, “…and _grand_ children who always find a way to come home to you, that’s when you know you’ve done something right. That’s what’s important.”

Matching her smile, Fitz turned his head to follow his mother’s gaze. But he was surprised to find that she wasn’t looking at what he assumed would be Charlotte and Molly helping their mum with breakfast. Instead, she gazed lovingly in the direction of the breakfast nook, where Deke sat flipping through one of their old photo albums.

As his head began to spin, he looked back to his mother. “Wait…how…” He trailed off to clear his throat. “Mum?”

Giving him an even wider smile, she started to laugh, squeezing his shoulder. “He’s come ‘round more than you know. Rather talkative one, is he not?”

“Right, he never shuts up.”

Leaning in, she placed her hand back on his cheek. “I know my own blood when I see it,” she whispered.

Fitz’s jaw dropped, this new bit of information sending his thoughts into a whirlwind. “So, you… know who he is? Biologically speaking?”

She nodded, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m not going to pretend like I understand how it all works, but it’s a bit fun finally encountering something out of this world that’s not trying to harm you in any way. It’s about time after all these years.”

“Him being here makes a lot more sense now.”

“Ah, yes. And he’s rather fond of you.”

Fitz chuckled at that. Maybe they could enjoy their time together even more now that he and Jemma didn’t have to tiptoe around Deke’s true identity.

Before saying anything more, Fitz leaned towards his mother to pull her into a much-needed hug, one he’d been wanting to give her for a long time now. And as he held onto her, embracing the same warmth and comfort he’d always done so as a child—the one thing that hadn’t changed in the slightest—he knew that day and many more to come were going to be filled with even more moments of openness and understanding.

“I love you, Mum.”

“I love you, too,” she replied, squeezing him even tighter. “So much.”

When they finally pulled back after a long moment, Ellie hastily wiping under her eyes, Fitz cleared his throat, collecting himself as well. “I think I want those pancakes now,” he said.

“Oh, me too.”

Ellie took his hand to lead him into the kitchen, and they were met with a joyous welcome from the rest of the family.

“Look, Daddy. Deke made a puppy!” Molly exclaimed as she stood on a stool next to the stove.

Fitz peered down at the steaming griddle and saw what he could only describe as a massive blob. Maybe there was a floppy ear on the top, but beyond that, he hadn’t a clue. “That… looks just like a puppy,” Fitz told him, trying his best to maintain a straight face.  

“Thank you,” Deke said, looking doubtful. “I worked very hard on it.”

Before Deke went back to the stove, Fitz grabbed his arm. “Hey. You, uhh… you did good.” Deke’s face looked puzzled, so Fitz gestured back towards the living room. “The picture. Thank you for that.”

“Yeah, of course.” Clearly recognizing Fitz’s current emotional state, Deke clapped his on his back rather firmly. “Come on, Gramps. Pull it together.”

Clearing his throat, Fitz nudged Deke back towards the stove. “Ah, bugger off.” He then turned to Jemma, her hands still covered with a bit of flour from measuring out ingredients.

“So?” she asked quietly, looking to him with hope in her eyes.

Seeing the rest of his family occupied by the now towering stack of pancakes on the counter, Fitz pulled Jemma over to him by the waist, cradled her face, and kissed her gingerly on the lips. Even if the kiss was brief, Fitz tried to convey every bit of gratitude he felt for his wife into the simple gesture, knowing full well that she played a key part in his current state of utter happiness after finally being honest with his mother.

As they parted, Jemma brought her fingers up to her lips and chuckled. “I’m going to assume that means it went well?”

He nodded, smiling with a bit of pride. “Definitely.”

“What animal are you going to make, Daddy?” Charlotte asked, a smudge of chocolate on her face from sampling the chips a bit early.

Fitz frowned. “Ah, come on, is that even a question?”

Her face lighting up, Charlotte pulled at her ears and puffed out her cheeks.

His face morphing into an even more radiant smile, Fitz moved to stand behind her on her stool, kissing the top of her head. “You’re right, clever one.”

 

 

\---

 

 

“You seem incredibly happy.”

Jemma’s breath tickled Fitz’s neck as she whispered the words, the light feathery touch of her lips sending his heart racing the same way it had years ago when she’d first kissed him there. Fitz squeezed her shoulder, tugging the fuzzy throw more snuggly around the two of them.

She was right, of course. It was incredible how clearing the air with his mother transformed their Christmas into one so much more magical. After their conversation, they joined the rest of the family for breakfast, which then turned into a whirlwind of exchanging even more gifts, the girls dancing in the living room to his mother’s old holiday records, and an extravagant meal the four adults in the house managed to prepare despite them being pulled away by little ones at their feet, their eyes discovering new wonders every hour of the glorious day.

The snow was falling freely now, creating a picturesque oasis as they settled into the evening, taking in the last few hours of the holiday before going to sleep. While the girls played with their new toys Father Christmas had delivered early that morning — even a fairy unicorn polar bear teddy for Molly that Fitz was quite proud of — the two of them curled up on the sofa in the sitting room at the back of the house. They’d pulled the curtains open on the large window that took up the back wall to watch the snow as it continued to fall, the soft laughter coming from the living room bringing faint smiles to their faces every few moments.  

“Of course, I am,” Fitz replied, looking down at her.

“Mm-hmm.” She sat up then, raising her eyebrow in a sly smile.  

“Oh, don’t give me that smug look.”

“What smug look?” she asked innocently.

“Come here.” He leaned back on the sofa and propped his head against a cushion, allowing Jemma to properly lay on top of him, letting her head rest on his chest above his beating heart.  

“I’m glad she knows,” she said softly, her breathing slowly syncing up to the slow rise and fall of his chest.  

“Me too.” Moving his hand up and down her back, he sighed peacefully.  

“We’re done with all that now,” she added, suddenly sitting back up to see his face, “so there’s no need to hide it anymore. No more space travel, no more robots, no more time loops – that’s all over.”

“Oh, really?” he asked, amused by her determined expression.

“Yes, I am declaring it so. The universe will have to go through me if it even _thinks_ about throwing anymore monoliths our way.”   

He nodded, taking in a steadying breath. “I’ve been thinking.”

She smiled sweetly at that, poking him in the chest. “Obviously. That’s all you do.”

“Okay, _yes_ , but…”

He paused to consider his next words, and then Jemma looked at him with patient eyes, giving him the courage to continue. He’d been thinking about this very topic long before they’d even arrived in Scotland, the idea fluttering about in his head ever since she had shown interest in spending the holidays here. A part of him had always wanted to propose the idea to her once she was expecting their first child, but he knew of her attachment to the team and the new base. And a big change like the one he was suggesting was a lot to consider.

After letting out a slow breath, he met her eyes. “I’ve been thinking about our next chapter, if you will. I know we’re already a ways into it by now, and it’s not going to slow down any time soon.”

“Molly will make sure of that,” Jemma pointed out, biting her lip through her smile.

“Right, she will.”

At that very moment, as if triggered by the mention of her name, Molly let out an ecstatic shriek, which dissolved into laughter from the other room.

Jemma tilted her head in the direction of their daughter’s voice. “Someone’s having a good time without us.”

“Apparently, so,” Fitz said through a chuckle. “Anyway, I was thinking.”

“Yes?”

“Maybe we could… slow down a bit? Not completely, but maybe it’s time we thought about our work and how much it means to us and our future.”

At this, Jemma sat up to look at him head-on, so he sat up straight as well, taking her hand between both of his in his lap.  

“Being here,” he went on, “it’s made me realize that… as much as I like to forget some of the bad things that happened in this house, _she_ is who I’ll always be grateful for. And I want our children to feel the same way. That even if things aren’t perfect or the world is falling apart, they still have a home.”

Jemma nodded, patient as ever as he explained himself.

“A real home,” he emphasized. “Not an apartment we only spend a few hours in every other day. Not a cramped bunk at the base. So, if it’s alright with you, I was thinking we could move back here. Not _here_ , obviously. But I mean somewhere close. I think we can both agree that having some extra help would be great, and I know how much they love it here already.” Pulling in his lips, Fitz looked down at their intertwined fingers. “But I want you to be happy. That’s my biggest priority.”

When he lifted his head back to up to read her expression, she was beaming.

“So?” he asked hesitantly, even though he already could see her answer in her eyes. “What do you think?”

Without warning, Jemma lurched forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tightly against her body, causing Fitz to fall slightly backwards against the side of the sofa. “ _Yes_ ,” she said, almost breathless. “Yes, of course it’s alright with me. It’s more than alright.”

Fitz steadied them and then let out a deep breath as they held each other, Jemma snuggling as close as can be as she stroked her hand through his hair.

“Sometimes, I feel like we should have done it sooner,” she said later, finally pulling back. “I know Charlotte loves the base and the team there, but I don’t want her or Molly to think that’s the only life that’s available for them.”

“Right, exactly.”

“They deserve normal, for once. And so do we.” She bit her bottom lip, her happiness infectious. “I want to not get called in at ridiculous hours in the morning. I want your mum to babysit whenever she pleases. And I want them to grow up in a place they can actually call a home.”

“Well, I’m glad you said yes, because…”

Before he could finish, Jemma let out a small gasp, looking as if she were about to scold him. “What have you done?”

“Ah-I –“ he stuttered, “I haven’t done anything official yet, but I _have_ been researching a couple of places. Homes with extra rooms, if we can afford it. So, I present to you…” Reaching his hand behind him to the side of the sofa, he retrieved a small gift-wrapped box, no larger than his palm. “The other half of your Christmas present,” he finished, presenting the box to her.  

Jemma took the gift in her hands, her mouth forming a subtle ‘O’ as she took in the simple wrapping. “Fitz, you didn’t have to—wait,” she said suddenly, her expression shifting from complete gratitude to genuine curiosity, “what’s the first half?”

Fitz gestured dramatically to the space around them. “Our holiday here? I thought that’s what it was, anyway. You know, Christmas in Scotland, everything you’ve ever dreamed about and all that.”

“Oh! Right, right. Yes, that makes sense.”

“Wait, what did you think it was?”

She half shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said innocently enough. “I thought you had something else planned that was a bit more…”

“What?” he asked, completely oblivious to her line of thinking.

“Naughty?”

“ _Jemma._ ”  

“I don’t know!” she shot back, her voice rising an octave. “We only get so much time to ourselves, and you tend to out-romance yourself every year.”

“I—” Fitz said, lifting a finger, “okay, that was not originally on the agenda, considering this house is fairly small.”

“True.”

“And the bed creaks a lot.”

“Also true.”

“But…” he said, trailing his hand down her arm before letting it rest on her hip, “I’m sure we can figure out a way to implement a third part to your gift. Somehow.”

Through a sly smile, she nodded. “Yes, please.”

“Anyway, stop distracting me,” he ordered playfully, “because this is the actual second half of your gift.”

With newfound eagerness, Jemma returned her attention to the present in her lap. She quickly untied the ribbon and removed the silver wrapping before opening the small box, revealing a set of papers creased many times over. When she unfolded them slowly, her eyes widened as her expression grew soft.

“Blueprints,” she said, her voice thick.

“For our lab. In what I hope to be our new home. I’ve got a wish list going for the realtor, you know, just general ideas. I’m open to remodeling beyond the lab if we need to. Maybe we can try to find something by the end of spring.”

“Yes, definitely.” With a hint of wonder in her eye, Jemma took in the many details of the plan, her expression filling with more and more glee as she examined what he hoped would be a perfect new home for their work. “Oh, Fitz. It looks amazing. Very spacious. State of the art, I see.”

“Mm-hmm. Only the best for you.” He’d been working on the design for quite some time now, pulling it out of his desk at the base whenever he knew she was focused on some important task on the other side of the Lighthouse. He’d even asked for Mack’s input, wanting to design it in a way where it still felt like an extension of S.H.I.E.L.D. yet completely their own space – one where he hoped they could continue to grow in their partnership.

“Then I’ve got the general wish list for the rest of the house there,” he added, pointing towards the bottom corner of the page.

“Ah, yes. All good things.” As her eyes shifted back and forth as she read through the list, she brought a finger to her lips, an idea seeming to enter her mind. “Turn around,” she said suddenly, twirling her finger about.

In the midst of him rearranging himself on the sofa as she commanded, Jemma snatched a pen off the end table and flattened out the blueprints against her thigh before positioning the paper on his back.

“Wha—are you already adding _notes_?” Fitz asked her.

“Well, I’ve got a few things in mind.”

He waited patiently as she added what she needed, the marking of the pen ticklish against his back, until he heard her replace the cap.

“There,” she finally said. “Have a look.”

As he faced forward, Jemma curled up next to him and presented him with her modified list.  

“Big garden,” he read.

“Priority.”

“Spacious kitchen.”

“If we can afford it. You know how much the girls would adore it, though.”

“And… four bedrooms? I mean, I was trying to not be overly ambitious with our budget, but I guess it would be reasonable to have a room for Mum to stay in when she visits. Although, I figured we would visit her rather than the other way around. Bit easier for her that way so she doesn’t have to travel.”

“Ah, yes, we could use that last bedroom for guests, I suppose.” As she said this, she pulled on his hand, the motion so familiar, he may have missed its meaning if he weren’t paying close enough attention. Because instead of simply holding his hand, she placed it on the fabric of her jumper, just over her stomach.

“Or we could use it for someone else,” she whispered.

Fitz’s breath properly escaped his lungs, and for a moment, he sat completely stunned beyond belief with only the growing smile on Jemma’s face confirming his thoughts. He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it until that very moment, the possibility that the universe wasn’t quite finished yet in creating new wonders for the two of them to love and adore.  

“Jemma,” he finally choked out, his gaze shifting between her eyes and where his hand still rested against her jumper. She’d moved both of her hands to cover his, and with a light chuckle, she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“Told you I’d take you by surprise.” She kissed his cheek, and only then could he breathe again. “Merry Christmas.”  

“You’re… you’re really…?”

With a bit of thrill in her eyes, she nodded eagerly. “Just a few weeks, but… yeah. Little one’s definitely in there.”

At once, it dawned on him, feeling rather thick for not realizing it sooner, despite experiencing the ups and downs of her two previous pregnancies. “It wasn’t a stomach bug.”

“I’ve gotten a lot better at lying over the years,” she admitted, looking quite proud of herself.  

Letting out a sigh, Fitz looked to her with a more thoughtful expression. “Three’s a lot.”

“It is,” she agreed.  

“It’s a lot of work.”

“We won’t sleep for a year.”

“But…” He licked his lips, completely overcome by her news and realizing how much their lives were about to change even more. “Mum always hoped for a big family.”

“And now you have something else to share with her.”

Her words shot a new sense of warmth through him, knowing the next conversation with his mother would be filled with something so much brighter and more extraordinary compared to the worries of his own life.

“Although, she probably already knows,” Jemma confessed. “Morning sickness apparently runs in her side of the family, too. But I’ll let you do the honors of confirming her suspicions.”

“That’s alright.” He pulled her in for another embrace, kissing her temple before cradling her against his chest. “Thank you. For this and for… you know.”

“Of course. And thank you,” she said, her voice muffled. “I love your gift.”

With a laugh, he let her go to look in her eyes and brush his hand through her hair. “I think we can agree that yours was better.”

“Well,” she said, nudging him with her elbow, “I had a little help.”

Through a sigh, he tilted his head towards the living room. “Should we join them?” As much as he was looking forward to them returning to their children and experiencing their elevated joy brought on by their newest treasures, he secretly prayed he could keep Jemma all to himself.

To his relief, she shook her head. “Not yet.”

Even with their children in the other room, they couldn’t resist giving in to their desires for just a little while, the feeling of Jemma’s lips soft and sweet against his own a blissful reminder of how much he adored every part of her, along with the new life blooming within her. Soon, they would have to return to the living room and pick up the toys, help sweep the kitchen, and tend to their growing to-do list as they started the process of finding the perfect home for their growing family. But first, they settled for a moment longer between just the two of them. And as Fitz moved his hand to Jemma’s waist, skimming the place where he would soon shower with kisses once they were properly alone, he thought of how he would share the news with his mother, knowing there was plenty more beyond this glorious surprise worth celebrating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! ❤️ You can find me on tumblr at [jemmafitzsimmons](http://jemmafitzsimmons.tumblr.com)!


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